The Children of the Thorns
'Conspiracy: The Children of the Thorns' '' Purpose: Bloody Mary is real. Her Crypt lies in a cemetery where the sun never rises and where time passes differently, and those who have visited it (survived the Pilgrimage) are forever changed. Her Children are destined for some great and unknown purpose. They are the elite, better than ordinary Kindred in a way that is more fundamental and real than the elaborate social rules of the Invictus. ''Doctrine: ''First and foremost, obedience to Mary, her Attendants, and her Oracles. Many Children of the Thorns do nothing more than this, but some proactive Crypt Walkers seek to find a reliable path from the Crypt to Cape Town (the only reliable mundane entry-point); to explore the maze and see where else it leads; and to map the Crypt itself. Being a Crypt Walker isn't something you do, it's something you ''are. Membership: ''Once you've made the Pilgrimage, you're one of the Children. That's all it takes, and consequently Kindred of any clan or covenant can join. Why one of the existing Children chooses to invite another through the Mirror, though, is far too random to predict. Of all the Covenants, the Lancea Sanctum are the least frequently chosen. The only other reliable pattern is that younger vampires are chosen more frequently than those whose Requiems are well-established. Like all Conspiracies, The Children of the Thorns keep themselves secret. Outsiders would be eager to investigate their private unworldly refuge, and those who have not been chosen as worthy should never be afforded the privilege. 'Benefits' • Surviving the Pilgrimage costs one Willpower dot and one dot of Humanity. Thereafter, the character gains two permanent Conditions: The Bloody Divide and Mary's Compassion. Additionally, the character knows the ritual to reach Mary's Crypt, and can bring up to two others with him. ''The Bloody Divide : Children of the Thorns instinctively recognize one another, and while tensions may still flare up between them the Beast within recognizes a packmate. Your predatory aura reveals you as kin to other vampires with this condition, in much the same way you instinctively know one another as vampires. Moreover, the Beast recognizes itself as one of a chosen, superior elite. When clashing predatory auras with an outsider, you receive a +1 die bonus to the roll. Additionally, you may spend a point of Willpower to negate the Bestial, Competitive, or Wanton Condition imposed by another Child of the Thorns. This does not count as resolving the Condition. : Possible Sources: Surviving the Pilgrimage into Mary's Crypt. :Resolution: Falling to torpor. :Beat: N/A Mary's Compassion : There is a connection between the Children, such that when one asks another for help there is an urgency that seems to galvanize every work. A Child of the Thorns using Social maneuvering against you faces two fewer Doors than usual. : Possible Sources: Surviving the Pilgrimage into Mary's Crypt. :Resolution: Falling to torpor. :Beat: You suffer negative consequences as the result of helping another Child. •• The character is permitted to schedule one Cryptic Rendezvous per month, which allows him safe, nearly-instantaneous travel to most major cities and several minor cities across the world. This must be a round trip, and must be scheduled at least three days in advance. ••• Mary looks after her Children. As a reflexive action the character may spend one point of Willpower and touch any pane of glass to summon a sharp, mirrored shard from it. This functions as a weapon dealing one lethal damage, or two lethal if pulled from an actual mirror. The blade disappears at the end of the scene or when the Crypt Walker ceases to be in contact with it, whichever comes first. •••• Attuned to the Crypt, the character can now "give his pain to Mary". He gains the Iron Stamina (•••) Merit free of charge. ••••• At this highest level, the Child learns the secret of Shadow Healing. With a successful roll of Dexterity + Wits - the victim's Resolve, the vampire can steal the shadow of any living being with a soul. This is an instant action that robs the victim of a point of Willpower, which regenerates after the scene. The shadow begins at the same Size rating as the person who cast it, and loses a minimum of one Size per turn. By consuming the shadow the vampire can heal existing damage: one point of bashing damage for one turn of eating, one point of lethal damage for two turns of eating, and one point of aggravated damage for three turns of eating. Consuming a shadow is an instant action which does not deprive the vampire of his Defense. Beyond the mechanical effects, the shadow tastes good. It feels good. It's an echo of diablerie, the way the moon is an echo of the sun - though the rarity of diablerie prevents most from realizing this. While not strictly addictive, many vampires repeatedly seek out the experience. Unfortunately, while the Child is able to steal a shadow at any time he is only able to consume it to heal. There are some who theorize that they are, in fact, stealing and consuming a sliver of a person's soul, but those thoughts are rarely given voice. 'Source' More information on the Children of the Thorns can be found in ''The Danse Macabre, ''pp 92-97. Credit for this Blood & Smoke translation goes to Is_A_Becca. Category:Cults Category:Children of the Thorns Category:Translations Category:Conclaves